20p/25c20p/2520 /2

War CryTHE

FIGHTING FOR HEARTS AND SOULSsalvationarmy.org.uk/warcry Est 1879 No 7105

A FARM’S TRAGIC PAST HAS A LASTING EFFECT IN TV DRAMA

Page 4

Page 3

Revolutionary Jesus film re-released© IT

V

2 March 2013

Page 16

YOU CAN ALWAYS GO … DOWNTON

Playing guitar

for a TV star

2 The War Cry 2 March 2013

Born in a bare room – a refugee baby

SURVEY REVEALS RISE IN VOLUNTARY WORK

News

There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God.

Lord Jesus Christ,I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit.Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen

Becoming aecoChristian

TEARFUND PARTNERS PROVIDE HELP TO SYRIANS IN LEBANON AND JORDAN

COMMENT – p6 GARDENING – p7 PUZZLES – p12 INNER LIFE – p13 FOOD FOR THOUGHT – p14 RECIPES – p15

Churches are putting in the hours

A SYRIAN refugee holds her baby girl, born without medical help in a bare room on the roof of an abandoned half-built house. Staff from the Christian relief and development agency Tearfund met Wadahea, 28, during a visit to Beqaa Valley, Lebanon. Since their visit, a Tearfund partner organisation has been providing Wadahea with the help she needs.

Partner organisations of Tearfund are working among Syrians who have fled to Jordan and Lebanon. They are providing mattresses, blankets and plastic insulation to help them cope with the winter.

SOUL singer Lemar, folk singer Eliza Carthy and writer and broadcaster Bidisha are among the first names announced for the line-up of this year’s Greenbelt Festival. The Christian-based festival takes place on August Bank Holiday weekend.

CHRISTIAN author Adrian Plass and his wife Bridget are to commence their Riding the Storm Tour at Portsmouth Cathedral on Monday 11 March.

The ten-date tour features stories, sketches and poems presented by the couple and worship led by Dave Bilbrough. The programme will also feature extracts from Adrian’s new book The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass: Adrian Plass and the Church Weekend.

For more information visit ridingthestorm.org.

THE amount of voluntary community work carried out by churches is increasing, research has found.

The 2012 National Church and Social Action Survey, carried out by Jubilee Plus and Act Network, revealed that ‘hours spent by vol-unteers in UK churches on local social action initiatives have increased by 36 per cent in two years’.

It also showed that 58 per cent of churches plan to increase social initiatives over the next 12 months.

At the launch of the sur-vey, Baroness Warsi, the

Faith and Communities Minister, announced the setting up of a government-backed programme to pro-mote and link social action carried out by faith commu-nities.

The Together in Service initiative will provide train-ing and other support to new and existing volunteering organisations.

Baroness Warsi said: ‘Our faith groups make a huge contribution to society, with an army of dedicated volun-teers who commit their time and enthusiasm throughout the year.’

Lemar for Greenbelt

Diarist goes on ten-date tour

CHRISTIAN relief and development agencies are concerned about David Cameron’s proposal to assign a portion of the country’s aid money to military peacekeeping operations.

Christian Aid fears that such a move would pose a risk to aid workers, as communities may be reluctant to trust them. The organisation said that the ‘best way to bring about peace and stability is through poverty reduction’.

Justin Byworth of World Vision UK comments: ‘Long-term stability is about far more than peacekeeping. It’s a complex mix which includes nutrition, health, education and protecting vulnerable children, which all help to prevent conflict.’

Concern at peacekeeping aid proposal

ELE

AN

OR

BE

NTA

LL/Tearfund

Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

when they see the effects the events of the past have on their families.

There can be times in our own lives when our past comes back to haunt us. It may even be that something we have done wrong seems to follow us. A bad decision from years ago can have an impact on our lives today. An uncaring action can cause what seemed a strong friendship to go up in smoke. A moment of selfishness can ruin trust.

The Bible tells us that once our life on earth is over, we will have to give an account to God of our actions – good and bad.

If that sounds a daunting prospect,

it does not have to be. Jesus took the con-sequences for all the wrong things we do when he was crucified on a cross.

However cheq-uered our past, if we believe and trust in Jesus, God will for-give us and forget our wrongdoing.

Bible writer Paul put it like this: ‘We put our faith in

Christ Jesus, and God accepted us because of our faith’ (Galatians 2:16 Contemporary English Version).

In the past, Paul had been violent and aggressive. Yet by believing and trusting in Jesus, he was made right with God and provided with a new start.

It can be the same for us. By following Jesus, we can put our past behind us, have a new beginning here on earth and be ready to move into a heavenly future.

A BLAZE engulfs a barn on a Suffolk farm in 1944. While her horrified family look on, Lucy Felwood is lost to the flames. What no one at the scene could imagine is that the suspicious death of the 17-year-old would haunt the farm for decades.

That was the explosive start to the new ITV drama series Lightfields on Wednesday (27 February).

Viewers were taken forward from the fire to 1975, when the Lightfields farmhouse was rented by a mother and her daughter, and then to 2012, when Lucy’s younger brother Pip – now a pensioner – returned to the place of his sister’s untimely death.

As Pip (Michael Byrne) went back to the farm, he was aware of an eerie presence, something which his great-grandson also noticed when he stayed there.

It had been a similar experience in the Seventies for mother and daugh-ter Vivien and Clare. Vivien (Lucy Coho) had been evacuated as an eight-year-old to the area during the Second World War. As an adult, she could barely remember those times, but on a visit to the farm her memo-ries started to stir – and so did some ghostly experiences.

As the drama’s action jumps between decades, viewers may begin to wonder whether the young Vivien and Pip knew something about the events of the fire. They may also want to know how Vivien and Pip will cope

2 March 2013 The War Cry 3

By ANDREW STONE

What is the truth about Lucy?

Pip has the past on his mind

There can be times in our own lives

© ITV

when the past comes back to haunt us

4

MusicInterview

NOT many people can say that they have played in a band with Lady Cora from Downton Abbey.

But Simon Nelson can. Last month, the guitarist completed a tour with the period drama actress Elizabeth McGovern, who heads up the group Sadie and the Hotheads.

‘I met Elizabeth in her pre-Downton days,’ says Simon, when I meet him at his home in London. ‘My brother Steve is a guitar teacher and about seven years ago he put an advert in a local paper, offering lessons. Elizabeth got in touch because she wanted to learn to play some Bob Dylan music.

‘When Steve started her lessons, neither of us knew who Elizabeth was. We gathered that she was quite a famous actress, but we are not particu-larly into films so didn’t recognise her. Steve encouraged her to write some songs and straight away she did. She is very bright and creative, so was able to come up with some really quirky, interesting material.’

After a few songs had been com-posed, Simon put together a band to back her and record the songs. Since then, Sadie and the Hotheads have been making music. They try to arrange their diaries around Elizabeth’s

busy filming schedule.‘Elizabeth is very open to talking

about being in Downton,’ says Simon. ‘She was also in a lot of films in the 1980s [such as Once upon a Time in America, with Robert De Niro] and it is funny to hear her mention some of the stars she has worked with. She’s very friendly.’

Simon explains how the band’s name came about: ‘The name Sadie gives Elizabeth a character to slip into, which she likes. The “Hotheads” part is

man

SIMON NELSON tells Claire Brine about performing with a TV star

I met Elizabeth in her pre-‘Downton’ days

CLA

IRE

BR

INE

2 March 2013 The War Cry 5

ironic, because none of us is.’Even before he became a (hypo-

thetical) Hothead, Simon made his living making music. He got into playing guitar in his early teens. He used to go home from school during his lunch break so he could practise.

‘I was very enthusiastic,’ he says. ‘I played with bands in my

teens, and when I turned 21 I became a full-time musician. I’ve performed in some beautiful places, such as Bermuda and Australia. I’ve also enjoyed playing for a variety of singers, includ-ing Beverley Knight and Alexandra Burke.’

Even after 30 years of playing the guitar, Simon’s enthusiasm for performing remains. He loves the creativity of writing songs and the excitement of gigs. He also enjoys teaching. For 12 years, he has been run-ning ten-week courses at Holy Trinity, Brompton – the church where the Alpha

course was born – teaching people how to play in worship.

‘I also play in a worship band at St Barnabas Church in Kensington,’ he says. ‘Doing that helps me to stay grounded in my Christian faith. Playing guitar for worship is completely different from playing in a non-church

environment. In a worship band, the musician is giving every-thing over to God as an act of service, and there is no room for egotism. It’s

like tapping into a different headspace.’Simon became a Christian after he

attended an Alpha course some 15 years ago. Before that, he admits, he saw God as an ‘old man with a big beard’.

‘Today, my faith in God brings a focus to my life,’ he says. ‘I see some Christians wearing wristbands with the initials WWJD, which stand for “What would Jesus do?” That’s a good ques-tion to think about when facing any situation.’

As Simon continues to explore his

faith, he finds that music is key in help-ing him to understand it. He says it enhances his experience of God.

‘In my mind I can’t separate music from spirituality. I hear some of the old Christian hymns and think they are amazing because the words have so much substance.

‘I also think that the tunes them-selves can be touching. If I see peo-ple in a church congregation who are clearly in conversation with God, it is great to think that music may have helped to facilitate that.’

As well as playing in church and teaching, Simon hopes for a bright future with Sadie and the Hotheads.

‘At the moment, Elizabeth is filming, so we have to apply the brakes on the band a little bit,’ he says. ‘But when she gets her time off we will be sure to slot some gigs in. Our latest album How Not to Lose Things has just been released in Scandinavia, so there are some interesting possibilities opening up for us. It should be an exciting year.’

For more information visit tenweekworshipleader.com

KIR

STY

GR

AN

T

Playing for worship is completely different from playing in a non-church environment

Simon (second left) performs with Sadie and the Hotheads, fronted by actress Elizabeth McGovern (centre)

A WOMAN whose hus-band was killed in a car crash went to court ‘to help the driver responsible for the tragedy avoid a jail sentence’, reported the Daily Mail.

According to the paper, Patricia Machin – a ‘devout Christian’ – wrote a letter of support to driver Brian Williamson after the death of her husband. It

was shown to the judge at Bournemouth Crown Court, where Mr Williamson received a suspended sen-tence for careless driving.

The letter said: ‘On the day of the accident, how-ever bad it was for me, I realise it was 1,000 times worse for you … Will you make me a promise, that you will get on with your young life, knowing that

you will always be supported by my prayers?’

IN The Guardian, Andrew Brown reported on how churches in Tyne and Wear were helping people badly affected by the economic downturn. At a church project counselling people with debt problems in South Shields, Carole Davison said the situation was ‘50 times worse than ten years ago’ and predicted further problems if plans to change the council tax are implemented.

The reporter noted that down the coast in Sunderland Minster, ‘the first thing to

greet a visitor is a noticeboard asking for contributions to a food bank and a night shelter’.

He also spoke to Graham Wharton of

The Salvation Army who argued that one of the great services the Church can provide for people is simply a sense of self-worth.

The War Cry 2 March 20136

THE days of children being seen but not heard may have long gone but perhaps somebody needs to take more notice of Britain’s children. The UK is the seventh wealthiest nation in the world, but too many of its children are living in poverty.

According to figures released by the End Child Poverty campaign last week, almost half (47 per cent) of the children in the parliamentary constituency of Manchester Central live in households earning less than 60 per cent of median income. Surely no MP, or would-be MP, of any party is relaxed about that.

In Belfast West and Glasgow North East the figure is 43 per cent. Even though the national average is considerably lower at 20 per cent there is no cause for rejoicing or complacency. This means that one in five children is living in poverty.

PresentIt is often said that children are the

future. But that is little better than the seen-but-not-heard put-down of Victorian Britain. Children are the present.

By definition, they are dependent. Politically, they are disenfranchised. They don’t pay tax. They don’t get a vote. The only voice they have is through adults speaking up for them.

Last November, the Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, launched a consultation into factors to measure poverty. Income alone, he told the BBC, ‘doesn’t measure what is going on in the family. Understanding the nature of family life – debt, addiction, abuse – gives a better picture of whether a child is likely to be living in poverty.’

Also in the news last week: Five senior managers at the partly state-owned bank RBS are said to be set to share £6 million in bonuses, despite RBS’s part in the Libor rate-fixing scandal.

By any definition, that’s poverty. Moral poverty.

Poor deal

CommentMedia

Drum play explores repercussions

Find The War Cry on Facebook and Twitter at /TheWarCryUK

Widow prays for driver

HOLLYWOOD actor Mark Wahlberg told Radio Times that the ‘love

of the Lord’ and his family helped him to turn his life around.

The Broken City star commented: ‘I get down on my hands and knees and pray every day for a good 15, 20 minutes. I don’t pray for success – I pray for the ability to succeed at what’s important in life: to be a good servant, father, husband, son, brother, uncle, friend, neighbour, leader to those that look to me as an example, and a follower to those that serve God.’

that one servicescanpeople sense of

k Wahlberg ‘love

ped

ented:knees 15, 20

ess –d at a

d, son, our,e as

RIDING Lights Theatre Company is on a national tour with its play A Different Drum, which explores the sacrifices made by people living in the Derbyshire village of Eyam during the Great Plague.

The play also imagines how different the world could be if people followed Jesus’ instruction ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’.

A Different Drum tours until 27 April. For more information visit ridinglights.org

HELGA ESTAB/Shutterstock.com

SE

AN

CA

VA

NA

GH

Churches help in Tyne and Wear

AS we try to put the record-breaking rain-fall of last year behind us, it is time to plan for our summer bedding of this year.

Consider foliage plants for some or part of your dis-play. When planted en masse, foliage makes an attrac-tive alternative to flowers. Coleus, though often used as a house plant, is a fine example. It looks stunning as bedding when planted in large swaths. The colourful Cineraria is great for edging. Other options include Heuchera, Helichrysum and colourful ornamental cabbages.

If you want to grow some attrac-tive alpine plants but don’t have space to build a rock gar-den, you should know that a number of specially selected types will grow in the ordinary garden borders.

Many alpines are simply

herbaceous perennials with a dwarf habit. The main require-ments for their growth are well-drained soil and a sunny aspect. Quite a few alpines

will grow in walls as well as window boxes, old sinks and other containers.

Taller alpines such as Gentiana septemfida and the pasque flower (Pulsatilla vul-garis) make lovely border plants, growing to about 30cm tall. The common primula is another classic choice for the front of a border.

Many alpines also make

72 March 2013 The War Cry

Alpines pass the test for borders

LEE

SE

NIO

R

and don’t forget…

Sow winter greens – sprouts, purple broccoli and savoy cabbage – now in your greenhouse or window box, as they need a long growing season.

by LEE SENIOR

The great outdoors

delightful edging beds. The alpine soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides), with its lovely pink and magenta flowers that last all summer long, is a perfect example. Alpine campanula – in particular the white ‘Alba’ form – are superb, with the benefit that they tolerate semi-shade. Alongside my pond grows Thymus serpyllum. It creeps along the margins and hides the liner and edge of the pond, making it look far more natural.

Alpine plants at Harlow Carr, an RHS garden

Inset: ‘Cineraria’ is great for edging

Early potatoes can be planted in drier settled spells of weather. Cover them with fleece where necessary.

Use cloches to cover early crops of lettuce, beetroot and onions to protect them from damaging winds or frost.

front Ma

As new growth begins, now is the ideal time to feed your established plants. A balanced organic fertiliser is fish blood and bone. Scatter the fertiliser round the base of the plant, lightly raking it in. I always wear gloves for this job and use at a quantity of 35–70g per square metre for most garden perennials.

IF your bulb display is looking a little thin on the ground, it may be that the excess rainfall of the past year has rotted some bulbs. A surprising amount of bulbs rot, particularly those planted in heavy clay or in poorly drained soil. In wet areas of your garden, it will be increasingly prudent to plant bulbs on gritty soil or to use sharp sand to improve drainage.

Bulbs and rain – the gritty reality

Cloches

Fertiliser

Greens Potatoes

8

A

What’s going on

year of reading

From 4 March 2013 to 28 February 2014, The Salvation Army is running the New Testament Bible Challenge, encouraging

people to follow a plan to read the whole New Testament bit by bit, week by week. PHIL LAYTON tells Renée Davis what happened when he ran the same challenge on a smaller scale at a Salvation Army church in Kent

ters a week.’Phil believes the plan is also appealing because

nobody needs to worry about being left behind. If they are struggling to read chapters during the week, they can catch up at weekends.

Phil reflects on the time when his congrega-tion took on the challenge.

‘It was all experimental, but as a church we said: “Let’s do it.” What took us by surprise was that other corps, churches and Bible study groups cottoned on to what we were doing.’

‘BEAUTIFULLY manageable’ is how Captain Phil Layton describes it. In

March 2010, the congregation at his Salvation Army church – or corps – at Hythe took up a challenge to read the whole New Testament over the course of a year. The aim was to read just one chapter a day, five times a week, in order to get to know the Bible more deeply.

‘I’d done a Bible-reading challenge before in my personal Bible study, and I thought I needed to do it again,’ says Phil, who runs the corps with his wife, Karen. ‘Our corps was growing and developing so well that my wife and I thought it would be great if we were all able to read the Bible together, as it were, week by week. The read-ing plans that we’d seen for the whole Bible were a bit cumbersome, and we thought it was a bit much to expect people to read so much each week for a year. So I thought: “What about just reading the New Testament?” It divides up perfectly: there are 260 chapters, meaning that, for the 52 weeks in the year, people need to read only five chap- R

EN

ÉE

DA

VIS

2 March 2013 The War Cry 9

People need to read only five chapters a week

biblically

‘The challenge kick-started a new series of Bible studies at our corps. People would come to a Bible study group at the end of the month with questions that were raised for them during their daily reading.’

Phil also noticed how it touched members of the congregation.

‘The two eldest members of our corps were married to each other,’ Phil remembers. ‘The husband was blind and became increasingly housebound. He wanted to do the challenge, so his wife would read a chapter to him each night. It’s one of the last things they did together before they died.’

People in the community noticed what was

Turn to page 10

Captain Phil Layton ran a Bible-reading challenge

10 What’s going on

It’s an achievement. What better way to find out about God and yourself

From page 9

going on at Hythe Salvation Army.‘Because we took up the challenge, the whole community knew that we

were a Bible-believing church,’ says Phil, who adds that through reading the New Testament his own relationship with God developed. ‘I was constantly reminded to trust God and be a faithful witness in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.’

The challenge ended and was considered a success. Phil and Karen felt that perhaps the congregation would enjoy taking up the Bible-reading plan again.

‘Just as we were thinking about suggesting it, I got a message from Commissioner Silvia Cox, who at the time was one of the leaders of the UK Salvation Army,’ explains Phil. ‘She’d come to the UK from her previous appointment in South Africa and had been reading about Hythe and what we were doing. She wanted to know more about it as she had run something similar in South Africa.’

After learning more about the Hythe experience, The Salvation Army in the UK and Republic of Ireland decided to run the New Testament Bible Challenge.

It is open to everyone. People can subscribe to it free via email and they will receive weekly reminders about the schedule and links to chapter readings. The emails will also include optional questions for readers to consider, which may help them to think further about the meaning of the chapters. For those who are more tech-savvy, an app is available.

Phil has a few words for anyone considering tak-ing up the New Testament Bible Challenge.

‘It’s easy to do, it’s an achievement and by the end of the year you will be pleased you did it. What better way to find out more about God and yourself.’

For more information visit salvationarmy.org.uk/biblechallenge

Members of Hythe Corps who took part in the Bible-reading challenge

in 2010 speak about the difference it made to their lives

RENÉE DAVIS

2 March 2013 The War Cry 11

Ted and Heather KnivettWhat made you decide to take part in the first Bible-reading challenge?

Ted: The New Testament tells you all about your life and how to treat others. It’s a good guide.

Heather: One reason for me was that most of the church was going to do it. But another was the fact that you knew exactly what you’d be reading and that you would be able to keep on going.

How did you find it?Heather: It was absolutely lovely. Ted and

I did it together but had a Bible each because we read at different stages.

Ted: We usually kept up to date with the readings. Some people did lag behind a bit, but we’re retired so we’ve got no pressures.

We’d sit down after breakfast and do our reading.

How did the challenge affect your life? Heather: It was good to be able to say ‘I

did it’, and we found Scripture passages that we could talk about together. We talk about everything and we’ve been married nearly 50 years, but to talk about the Bible was brilliant. It did us the power of good and we look forward to doing it again.

Ted: It was an achievement. When we couldn’t understand things, we would discuss them together. It brought us even closer as a couple.

What do you hope to get out of it next time?Heather: To take in more and to get to know

the Bible even better. I know the Bible because I’ve been brought up with it, but I’d like to know more about its meaning.

Richard CarrollWhat made you decide to do the Bible-reading challenge in 2010?

The Bible was always at the forefront of my family life, and I realised that I’d forgotten a lot of what I’d learnt. I hadn’t been reading my Bible as often as I should.

How did you find the Bible-reading challenge?

I started off with great enthusiasm. I’m also extremely busy within the corps and everyday life so I had to be quite disciplined. It’s good that the challenge is set from Monday to Friday, so there are a couple of days to catch up if you miss a bit.

It was an enjoyable experience and I will be doing it again this year.

The New Testament tells you all about your life and how to treat others. It’s a good guide

12 The War Cry 2 March 2013 Puzzlebreak

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9

Solution on page 15SUD

OK

U

HONEYCOMMB

QUICK CROSSWWOORD

ANSWERS

ACROSS1. Animate (7)5. Hazy (5)7. Doubtful (7)8. Respond (5)10. Design (4)11. Disparage (8)13. Racial (6)14. Photographic

instrument (6)17. Deliberate

damage (8)19. Assistant (4)21. Impel (5)22. Ailment (7)23. Remuneration (5)24. Expelled (7)

QUICK CROSSWORDACROSS: 1 Inspire. 5 Foggy. 7 Dubious.

8 React. 10 Plan. 11 Belittle. 13 Ethnic. 14 Camera. 17 Sabotage. 19 Aide. 21 Drive. 22 Illness. 23 Wages. 24 Ejected.

DOWN: 2 Sabbath. 3 Idol. 4 Easter. 5 Farcical. 6 Giant. 7 Depressed. 9 Teenagers. 12 Listless. 15 Evident. 16 Ignite. 18 Being. 20 Clue.

QUICK QUIZ1 Lionel Bart. 2 Gloucester. 3 Arkansas.

4 Yellow. 5 A harp. 6 Gold.HONEYCOMB

1 Public. 2 Bellow. 3 Bottle. 4 Doctor. 5 Police. 6 Hockey.

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these words which can be preceded by ‘in’

ABILITYACCURATEAPPROPRIATEBETWEENBREDBUILTCAPABLECOMECOMPLETE

CORRECTCROWDDECISIONDENTDEPTHDIRECTDOORSEXACT

EXPENSIVEFLIGHTFLOWFORMALGRAINHOUSEJOKELAND

LINEMATEPATIENTPUTSERVICESETSIDESIGHT

STEPTAKETOTONETRAYVISIBLEVOICEWARD

DOWN2. Day of rest (7)3. Hero (4)4. Christian

festival (6)5. Ludicrous (8)6. Colossus (5)7. Despondent (9)9. Youngsters (9)12. Languid (8)15. Obvious (7)16. Kindle (6)18. Existence (5)20. Hint (4)

1. Open to the ______

2. Shout very loudly

3. Liquid container

4. Someone who practises medicine

5. Civil force responsible for law and order

6. Sport which uses hooked sticks

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

WORDSEARCH

QUICK QUIZ

1. Who wrote the songs for the musical Oliver!?

2. According to the nursery rhyme, where did Doctor Foster go?

3. Which US state is known as ‘The Natural State’?

4. The flowers of the laburnum tree are what colour?

5. Which musical instrument is the national symbol of the Republic of Ireland?

6. Au is the symbol for which precious metal?

S P A C T A K E D A S T E P I E O O A P S R C N E K O J D M N R B B A C W O L F T H E E S R T W U T I A B O H O W E E E G R A I N I I G G U T D X C A P A B L E S D I S D E P T H O Y Y E T I I L E E N E E W T E B T R V T F M V I N O I S I C E D O S A I T L S L E E L C L D T T D P D R I C T R T A P O E W D S N B V N R V T T M O O D T I A T E T A I R P O R P P A G L D E X A C T A C S O A U H E V O I C E T O M E H F F T

when it seems easier and more rewarding to do wrong?

The answer is that Jesus understands our difficulties because he has already been there. He knows what it is to be tempted to take the easy way out – and to overcome the temptation.

Matthew 4:1–11 describes the ‘crossroads moment’ when Jesus was tempted, or ‘tested’ as many modern Bible translations describe it. It happened after God’s public confirmation of Jesus as his Son.

Satan chose his moment well. After a 40-day fast, Jesus was hungry. The Devil’s first

temptation was to suggest that Jesus could use his divine powers to turn the desert stones into bread.

The second test was subtler. If Jesus threw himself from the highest point of Jerusalem’s Temple and remained unscathed, crowds would flock to him. But sensationalism was not part

of Jesus’ plan. Lastly – in exchange for

bowing down to Satan – Jesus was offered world domination.

In each instance Jesus defeated temptation by quoting commands from the Scriptures.

Oscar Wilde said: ‘I can resist everything except temptation.’ It may seem harmless the first time we give into it, but as the temptation goes on the harder it becomes to resist.

Perhaps the temptation for us is to raid the biscuit tin or secretly gorge on chocolate. More seriously, it could involve taking a dubious shortcut to business success or getting into a relationship that is detrimental to family life.

But here’s the good news. In Jesus ‘we don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all – all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help’ (Hebrews 4:15, 16 The Message).

Whatever our temptations, Jesus can help us at every crossroads.

Inner life 132 March 2013 The War Cry

LOOKING FOR HELP?Just complete this coupon and send it to The War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN

Please send meBasic reading about ChristianityInformation about The Salvation ArmyContact details of a Salvationist minister

Name

Address

Next week: The Transfiguration

In the lead-up to Easter, ROSEMARY DAWSON looks at crucial moments in the life of JesusCROSS

ROADS

Temptation gets to us all

1: The temptations

A BOY in a shop was staring longingly at the array of chocolate bars in front of him. He picked up a few and turned them over in his hands. Suspicious, the shop assistant called out: ‘Are you stealing that chocolate?’ The boy replied: ‘No, I’m just trying not to.’

Temptation gets to us all. But what could the sinless Jesus possibly know about it? How can he understand our daily struggles to do the right thing

14 The War Cry 2 March 2013

SALES AND DISTRIBUTION: Tel: 01933 441807

The Salvation Army UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BNTel: 0845 634 0101 Helpline: 020 7367 4888

Founder: William Booth General: Linda BondTerritorial Commander: Commissioner Clive AdamsEditor-in-Chief and Publishing Secretary: Major Martin Hill

The War Cry Registered at Companies House as a newspaper under the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881

Editor: Nigel Bovey, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Stephen Pearson Editorial Assistant: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Renée Davis Chief Designer: Gill Cox DTP Operator: Denise D’Souza Secretary: Joanne Allcock War Cry office: 020 7367 4900Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

�

ERI

F

DNADO

OL

B

EHT Y

MR

ANOITAVLA

S

by CLIFF HOWES

Give a gift subscription of The War Cry Print version £26 (UK) or £44.50 (overseas) App version gift card £9.99 (plus £1 p&p)

Call 01933 445451or visit sps-shop.com

Food for thought

I met a homeless man … and saw Jesus

Lib

rary

pic

ture

pos

ed b

y m

odel

I WAS walking along London’s South Bank when I heard a voice from the shadows: ‘Could you spare a little money, please?’

‘No, sorry,’ I replied.‘Sorry to have bothered you,’ came

the response. As I walked on, it dawned on me

that I had just had an encounter with Jesus – and failed him.

Now that may sound an odd statement to make. But the Gospel of Matthew makes it clear that any good deed done – especially for poor people – is a good deed done for Jesus. Any good deed not done – especially for poor people – is something good withheld from Jesus (see Matthew 25:40, 45).

There are a number of reasons people don’t give money to people who beg. Their needs may not be genuine, they may spend it on drugs or drink and giving them money may encourage them to continue living the same way. But none of those reasons is acceptable to Jesus.

He said: ‘Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you’ (Matthew 5:42 New International Version). We must not pass

judgment on someone’s worthiness.Three weeks later, I was back on

the South Bank, at London’s Royal Festival Hall, when a voice that I recognised said: ‘Could you spare a little money, please?’

It was my chance to put things right. I had a short conversation with the stranger and confessed my previous meanness. He told me he lived beneath the building. I gave him some money – enough, I hoped, to cover both encounters.

Sometimes we do something wrong and have no second chance

to put it right. Other times we are granted that opportunity. I believe that we must grasp our second chances thankfully, always remembering that Jesus is all around us, especially in the faces of poor people.

We must not pass judgment on someone’s worthiness

Method:Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. To

make the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the mince for 5 minutes until it browns slightly.

Add the onion and celery and cook for 2–4 minutes, then stir in the remaining filling ingredients (except the stock) and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.

Pour in the stock and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, then set aside.

To make the pastry, put the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until you are left with fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and knead the pastry into a smooth dough, then wrap in clingfilm. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and cut into halves. Roll out one half and use it to cover the base of a 20cm pie dish. Spoon the mince filling over the top. Roll out the remaining dough and use it to cover the pie. Use a

fork to make crimping patterns round the edge. Glaze the pastry with milk.Bake the pie in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 4

I’M Michael Darracott. I have been an executive chef in several large establishments in charge of cooking for 200-plus people. I have also written a number of books. It gives me great pleasure to offer my recipes in The War Cry.

I invite readers to send in recipe ideas, to be considered for publication here. I would also like to offer help with any cooking-related problems you have. So send in your question and, if it is selected, an answer will be published on this page.

Email your recipes and questions to chefmike56@chefmikedarracott.com

Ingredients:

For the filling

2tbsp vegetable oil

375g beef mince

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stick, finely sliced

1tsp allspice

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp ground ginger

60g mushrooms, chopped

1tsp cornflour, mixed with a small amount of water

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

230ml beef stock

For the pastry

200g plain flour, sifted

80g butter

70ml water

3tsp milk, for glazing

152 March 2013 The War CryWhat’s cooking?

SUDOKU SOLUTION

Mince beef and onion pie

Ingredients:2tbsp vegetable oil 250g back bacon, cut into bite-sized

chunks 1tsp paprika 1 leek, thinly sliced 180g mushrooms, slicedSalt and ground black pepper, to taste90ml apple juice240ml double cream1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and

sliced480g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized

chunks1tbsp English mustard 190ml chicken stock 500g ready-made puff pastry

Chicken, bacon and apple pie

Method:Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the bacon, paprika, leek, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook until tender.

Add the apple juice and cream to the pan, then leave to simmer on a very low heat until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the apple slices.

Mix in the chicken, mustard and stock, then cook for 15–20 minutes over a simmering heat. Pour the mixture into a 30cm pie dish.

Roll out the puff pastry and use to cover the top of the pie. Cook in the oven until the pie crust turns golden brown.

Serves 5

chefmikedarracott.com

Cook with chef MICHAEL DARRACOTT

Monday (4 March) is the start of British Pie Week. So why not try these specially created recipes

The Italian director decided to make the film after visiting Assisi, where he read – and was gripped by – a copy of the Gospels left by his bedside.

Geoff Andrew, head of film pro-

gramme at BFI Southbank, tells The War Cry that the film was innovative. It cut out the clichés of biblical epics. Pasolini chose non-professionals for his cast. And it had ‘a brilliantly unexpected but apposite musical soundtrack that ranged from Bach masses to the Odetta song “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”.’

Geoff says that the result is a timeless work of art. ‘It still feels relevant because Pasolini – a non-believer who nevertheless recognised the importance and influence of Christ’s teachings – framed the story in such a way that it could appeal and make sense to Christians and non-Christians. Those who believe that Christ was the Son of God are rewarded

with a very respectful retelling of the Gospel, while those who don’t share that faith can still understand Christ’s actions and words in the film as those of a humanist battling against injustice.

‘And the questions the film’s Christ asks of us and the values he espouses remain as topical and

urgent as they have ever been.’Jesus’ focus was innovative.

What he said – as retold in The Gospel According to Matthew – was revolutionary. ‘Do to other men all that you would have them do to you.’ ‘Do not lay up treasure on earth.’ ‘Do not judge others.’ ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.’ ‘Love your enemies … so that you may be true sons of your Father in Heaven, who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good.’

Words don’t come any more ground-breaking than that.

MATT

The Salvation Army (United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) on behalf of the General of The Salvation Army. Printed by Wyndeham Grange, Southwick. © Linda Bond, General of The Salvation Army, 2013

YOU

R LO

CAL

SALV

ATIO

N A

RMY

CEN

TRE

IS it the greatest cinematic retelling of the greatest story ever told? Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1964 film The Gospel According to Matthew is back, with screenings in selected cinemas and a run at BFI Southbank in London, which began yesterday (Friday 1 March).

BLACKWHITE

AND

Film classic returns to the big screen

Enrique Irazoqui as Christ in ‘The Gospel According to Matthew’

writes PHILIP HALCROW

Courtesy of BFI